It seems that the whole scandal around the sex scenes in GTA finally took its toll on the game developed by Rockstar Games. Thus, video game maker Take-Two Interactive Software Inc on Wednesday said an industry ratings board had changed the rating on hit game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" to a restrictive "adult only" category and warned of a deeper third-quarter loss as a result, as reported by the Reuters agency.

The New York-based company said that its Rockstar Games affiliate would stop making the current version of the controversial title and offer a patch to prevent gamers from using a widely publicized software modification to engage in virtual sex within the game.

"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" has been at the center of a controversy in recent weeks after hackers unveiled a software modification known as "hot coffee" that allows players to have their characters engage in sex acts at the house of a "girlfriend."

In response, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board launched an investigation. Take-Two said on Wednesday in a statement after the close of trading that the industry board had decided to change the rating on the game to "Adults Only 18+" (AO) from "Mature 17+" (M).

Critics of the game's content had urged such a move, which threatened to crimp sales of the criminal-adventure, role-playing game at large retail outlets.

Take-Two said it had cooperated with the ESRB probe and would provide new "AO" labels for retailers that wanted to continue selling the current version of the game.

It said it would also work on a new version, which it expected to be ready for sale during the fourth quarter, which would prevent the "hot coffee" hack. That version of the game would carry the original M-rating, the company said.

Shares of Take-Two dropped about 11 percent in after-hours trade to $24 from a Nasdaq close of $27.07.

Take-Two said it expected to post July-quarter sales of between $160 million to $170 million and a per-share loss of between 40 cents and 45 cents after taking a charge for the unsold retail inventory of the hit game.